favorite lures or spread for yft

[Persistence2]

Just starting out, keep it as simple as you can. Learn to prep and rig a ballyhoo real well...so it swims. I don't know how much the lure really matters although you'll see color make a difference at times (or at least it will appear that way).

Everyone has recommended what I use. Witches, Ilanders of vairous sizes, some Moldcraft baits and Green Machines (large and small). I also believe Spreader bars are a great tool and I run three of them nearly every trip when tuna fishing...

[TerpHeels]

The only thing 4 sure for me is a b/w sea star on the long rigger and 4 spreader bars trailing mini green machines...2 on the shorts, 1 in between them and 1 dumped short of my wfb. Spread meat in all around it. As much as I hate 2 admit it a bird/GM dumped as my wfb.

[jtb67]

Take a stroll down the docks at OI in the aftrenoon during tuna time and see what they have tied on. Witches... mainly b/w w/ meat. Very simple.

[Regulator]

What works best in OI may not be the best spread for the folks fishing to the north of the DMZ, lots of the OI charter boys use meat/witches with a spreader bar in the center and teaser squid chains off the short rigger and no argument it kills YFT and certain it is what works best for the area most days, Canyon Runner is just as dialed in as the OI fleet and runs an entirely different spread. For the mobile tuna fisherman, it is fun & frustrating figuring out what to run in your spread, especially if you fish on both sides of the DMZ.
One day fishing the Spencer Canyon, the YFT would not touch a perfectly swimming meat/witch on 80# flouro leader, but a Bird/GM was tight to a YFT all day. Ended up running multiple Bird/GM that day, but that was not the spread I started with.
It doesn't matter what is in your spread if you don't have marks on your sounder and surface temp & chloro shots sure helps to eliminate vast areas of likely unproductive water.
Sure glad much of my learning curve was amass when fuel was under $2/gal.

[grady28]

Capt John is correct. We fish out of Ocean City MD and the past 2 years have been tough for yellowfin. Apparently they were up North this past Summer (Wilmington) and above. For whatever reason (probably bait and water temps) location is usually the key. The OC fleet has had some great years when the tables were turned (fish stayed down our way) and northern folks had a slow bite.

[Earesponsible]

Planer.

[GregB]

I agree to mostly mimick what the OI boats use in their spreads. Mostly 8-10 seawitches with the occasional spreader bar in the middle. They will pull a little chain in front of their seawitches on the shortriggers sometimes and will often add some sort of Islander in the mix somewhere in the spread. I have never seen an OI mate pull a bait without a ballyhoo other than on a spreader bar except with the exception of pulling a kite. I regard them as the best in the business and see no reason to try to reinvent the wheel.

[Tyson]

If you are not pulling at least 2, you are at a distinct disadvantage to boats who are. More baits in your spread draws more attention and turns on fish that you drive over that may just be neutral. I feel the same way about pulling a dredge.Do it. Tuna are primally drawn to large schools of bait. Its nature. Dont fight it. Dont get stuck in some idea that sea witches are the end all be all. They are a tool and work well. But they are not the only tool, and neither are spreader bars and dredges. Putting together a congruent spread that compliments speed and presentation will maximize your opportunity. You spend way to much time, effort, and maintinence on your boat to waste time fishing half (or a third) of what you could/should be fishing. More baits in the water, will mean more tuna. Live by it.

[Magic Moment]

Good stuff. The only thing I can add is that when there is a decent yft bite, we keep everything tight to the boat and abandon the way back. I don't want the first, and maybe only bite to be 100 yards back from my spread. You may only get a couple shots a day and want to get multiple bites when they come up. We run three to four spreader bars with single baits surrounding. I've often seen the first hit (sometimes and swing and miss) on the spreader, then the next bite on the close by single....then leave the first rod hooked up alone, keep your speed up and start hand jigging other lines and load em up.

Agree with GM spreader bar being one of the most consistant producers, but once you get'em up and the first one on, I believe they'll eat anything that swims decent.

[HIT N RUN]

In NC, KISS (keep it simple stupid)!!! when the Tuna are thick & the better boats are getting it done. When things are slow it can spell the time for a bunch of crazy stuff. You will NOT compete with a simple wind-on spread run tight with chain teasers if the boat captain & crew are in sync & over hungry fish. On those days once the fish are located, the better boats will be DONE in a couple quick circles & heading back to the barn. There are exceptions to that rule when 4 bars or a deep rig or a Green Stick, Kite or even Jigging or Spooning is the only presentation that will work well but on avarage, that is the exception & not what I would consider day in day out OI tuna fishing so you would not see all the boats back at the dock before noon on those days.

I guess all I'm saying is, on the days that you see the internet loaded with limit dock shots out of OI & PC plus guys also raving about good Tuna fishing on here, it's time to go fishing NOW!!! If you do, KISS & you will end up doing better plus make your day easier. You don't need a 9-10 rod spread to incl 3 bars & a deep rig on a small boat unless you just like re-enventing the wheel.

EDIT. I went back & read this. Looks like a lot of what I wrote was pretty much already mentioned above. Woops, Sorry.

I do agree that north of NC is a whole different ball game where plastic/rubber can out produce big time just as Chunking also can depending on the conditions & what they are feeding on. Heck for that matter I have seen where everyone at OI commited to Chunking during the fall & it got to where that was the only thing that worked. It was some of the most epic fishing we ever had!!!